GreytNut

I second adding water to make a stew of the food and squeezing the good stuff out of the capsule. My boy Riley would throw me under a train for a fish oil capsule.

18% Chunk? Oh dear.

Raven does the foot stamp when she wants to play and the recipient of her invitation is not responding quickly enough. You can almost hear her say, "Come ON, let's play already!" Usually it's directed at Evita the cat (the only one of the two who will deign to play with her).

I used Canidae for years, then stopped when they changed the formula. I was disgusted with them already because they kept shrinking the bag size and increasing the price. Then the formula change came. Dogs were hungry all the time, they lost weight and had soft orange poop, their coats got dull and Tiny turned into a poop eater. Never went back though, so can't say if things have improved.

I bought a big bag of the powdered form, kept it in an airtight container and put a couple of tablespoons in with Raven's meals. It kept for about 2 years, no mold. I'm not sure about the shelf life of the shredded form.

That's rough. What medication did Singh get? Do they know what might have caused his symptoms to flare up like that? Fortunately Riley's still able to run around and play more or less normally, except for the occasional tumble. Our results with Rimadyl were disappointing so we're looking for a good joint supplement to relieve the stiffness in his hind end.

I tried milk with Raven and it didn't work for her, but it was a harmless experiment and she certainly enjoyed it!

If it's not a UTI, it probably is spay incontinence. It is very, very common with older spayed female dogs. Raven has been on DES for a couple of years now and has produced no more wet spots on the couch! The vet said that giving it more than twice a week slightly increases the risk of osteosarcoma, but she's been fine with only twice a week. I have heard a lot of accounts of greyhounds having bad reactions to Proin. I seem to recall that VAhoundlover lost one of her girls to side effects from Proin.

We never switched and haven't had any problems. I did consider it, but they are doing so very well on TOTW and I hate to mess with success. There are occasional variations in kibble size/color from bag to bag but it's nothing I worry about. There are relatively few options for alternate foods in my area. We don't have a Costco, I am on a limited budget, most of the alternatives that I can find locally are WAY more expensive, and this is the first food I've tried that Raven really thrives on. Riley could probably eat something else but I keep them on the same food for consistency's sake. I truly hope that TOTW will consider moving its production out of Diamond's facilities.

The behavior you describe sounds like it could be caused by a brain tumor or seizure. It is not normal for a dog to go from perfectly relaxed and happy to viciously attacking with absolutely no warning or provocation. So if you aren't missing his warning cues and he really is attacking out of the clear blue, I would put money on it that he is suffering from a neurological problem and that he may not even be aware of what he is doing. If that's the case punishment will not be effective, but you do have to protect yourself. Muzzling him until your adoption group can take him is essential to your safety, but make sure you also muzzle your other dog. I am sorry you have to give up your boy, and I hope the group is able to discover and treat whatever is causing the problem.

Tiny was bonkers over strawberries. I had a strawberry plant and was baffled that my strawberries kept disappearing right as they reached perfect ripeness and were ready for picking. I thought the birds were stealing them until I caught Tiny in action. He would check the strawberries for ripeness, rejecting the ones that weren't quite there yet. When he found one that was ready, he would ever so gently pluck it off the plant and eat it. The booger taught Raven to do it, too. This is an oldie but a goodie. I miss my Tiny man. And Raven. Monkey see, monkey do.

No Kitty! means leave that cat alone, NOW! Often used when a hound looks like it's considering chasing the kitty, or is forcing unwanted attention on it.

I get them when they're lying down. I also use a muzzle with a poop cup coated in creamy peanut butter. It keeps Riley distracted while I'm working on his feet, and eliminates the risk of him deciding to take a chunk out of me if I do something uncomfortable.

Scaling is when you take a dental scaler (you can do a search on Drs. Foster and Smith to see a couple of different styles for sale) to gently scrape the tartar off the teeth. You have to be very careful not to scratch the enamel... really, don't put any pressure on it. I have a scaler and I very occasionally use it, but I'm super cautious about it. The best way to keep them clean is with daily chewies and frequent brushing. If you scratch the enamel you'll create more problems than you solve. I think that overzealous scaling is why my old girl's teeth are so bad.

Asparagus ends. Those dogs can hear an asparagus stalk snap from a mile away. Both also enjoy strawberries and blueberries. Riley will eat anything I give him. Raven is choosier.

I would suggest having a professional remove the oleanders so you know they're gone for good. They're not only toxic to ingest, but they secrete toxic oils that are readily absorbed through the skin and even the fumes from burning them are toxic. Best to leave it to a pro. Even my cat safe hounds have shown an unhealthy interest in kittens. I think it's because kittens are tiny, make high-pitched sounds and bounce all over the place. They act much more prey-like than adult cats. A young adult cat might be a safer bet, and I still wouldn't leave them alone together. When I can't supervise the cats stay in one part of the house and the dogs in another to prevent any unfortunate accidents. Adoption agencies don't always know for sure which hounds will have SA. We could've sworn my confident, happy Riley would never have SA. Brought him home and BAM! he was wailing as soon as I left his sight. But within a month he was settled down and all was well. SA doesn't usually last that long and you can help them by doing alone training, exercising them before you leave and giving them toys like Kongs to keep them distracted while you're away. Crating can help too. You might end up with a hound that has no SA whatsoever (though any dog will be nervous the first few times it's left alone in the house) but I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater if your hound does show signs of it. It'll get better. ETA: This will make your life much easier with regard to your foxtail problem. I have one of these and use it a lot. http://www.lowes.com/pd_46112-1078-78806935_0__?productId=3562496&Ntt=fiskars+weed+puller&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dfiskars%2Bweed%2Bpuller&facetInfo=

Can't find turkey necks around here, alas. I would LOVE to give them.

Generally no. It would be different if they were lying outside in the sun all day, but usually they're inside. Tiny did routinely bake himself in the dog run and developed a melanoma on his belly, which came as a surprise because I (duh!) didn't know that dogs got skin cancer from sun exposure like people do. Riley is mostly white with pink skin, so if we were going to be out all day in intense sun I would apply some sunscreen to his snout and bald spots.

Ditto. The vet said it has something to do with the beef flavor additive they put in it. Same here. It's a minor annoyance... not enough of a problem to warrant switching to something else. They're back to normal within 24 hours.

Have you tried contacting the manufacturer? They should be able to give you the scoop. There should be a phone number on the label or you could check their website for contact info.

Sit Stay Down Come Wait Leave It Off (means get down off the couch) Move (means you can stay, but make room for me on the couch) OK Cookie Chewie Treat Toy (Riley also knows the names of certain special toys, such as Lambie, Mr. Caterpillar, Mousie and Green Dinosaur) Who wants to go out and play? Walk (must be spelled out unless you're prepared to immediately follow through) Vet (must also be spelled out or you'll never catch Raven) Toenail trimming time (avoid saying this at all costs or you'll never catch either one) Who wants to go for a ride? Go potty Go to bed Go on (this means give me space/get your nose out of whatever I'm in the middle of) HEY!!!!! (This word, when screamed at Volume 10 in the Voice of God, has broken up dog fights and sent both dogs running in opposite directions with their tails between their legs. It helps if you can pull off the Medusa expression with red glowing eyes and snakes rustling in your hair, which I've been told I do quite well. ) Knock it off No Did you finish your dinner? (this means cookies will handed out if bowls are clean)

done

I have chain link and am not thrilled with it. The wind and snow load in South Dakota is too much for it and it needs replacing (it's only 5 years old). It's 4 feet tall and I worry about critters jumping in--my dogs aren't jumpers, thank goodness--and snow drifts burying the fence. During snow storms I often find myself outside at 3 am shoveling snow away from the fence so the dogs can't walk over it. 6 feet is the minimum ideal height IMO. If I had the funds to do so right now I'd use board-on-board cedar fencing, 6 feet tall and with the posts sunk at least 3 feet deep into the ground and anchored in concrete. The concrete footings would be bell-shaped to keep the frost from heaving them up, and the board-on-board design would allow wind to pass through instead shoving the fence over. I would treat it with a water sealing stain to make it last longer. If I was rich, I would use engineered wood that needs no staining to withstand the elements. Depending on your climate, you may not need as much engineering to make your fence work.

You have a stuffie killer! Some dogs play gently with their toys and have the same ones for years. Others find much more delight in pulling the stuffing out of a toy than in snuggling with it. Your girl sounds like the latter. It doesn't necessarily mean that she's high prey. They know the difference between a toy and a live animal. Search the clearance bins at pet stores for things like after-season holiday themed toys. Also try the stuffed toy section at the Goodwill, but make sure you get rid of glass eyes or pieces that might be pulled off and swallowed before giving them to her. You don't want to invest big money in toys that will be immediately killed. For more durable toys that will last a while try Kongs or Cuz toys.

Rescue Remedy may help. Playing some music or turning the TV on to help drown out the noise might also help. Giving her a safe place to hang out like a closet or bathroom also helps. Fortunately neither Raven nor Riley care about thunderstorms (good thing, because we had severe storms one after the other last night) but Argus was terrified of them. The Storm Defender cape didn't help him because he was frightened by the sound of thunder, not by the electricity. Anything that sounded like thunder--like moving a cooler across an upstairs floor--would set him to shaking, panting and sometimes peeing on himself. Rescue Remedy did seem to take the edge off if given in time but it wasn't a total cure.